The self-titled debut from Arlo McKinley and the Lonesome Sound might have startled the songwriter more than it will his fans

There’s an interesting paradigm in
Folk/Americana singer/songwriter Arlo McKinley’s career. McKinley has only been on the
scene since 2012; his alter ego, Tim Carr, was a back-of-the-stage
fixture for many years. But when Carr moved into the spotlight to front his Arlo McKinley and the Lonesome Sound, he found
it necessary to adopt a new persona to handle the increased attention.

Benefit for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer expands to three nights, two states

After taking a year off, the One More Girl on a Stage
music festival returns starting tonight, bigger and better than ever.
Founded by local musician Kelly Thomas (Kelly Thomas and the Fabulous
Pickups, The Tammy Whynots), One More Girl (OMG) is striving to raise
$10,000 for the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast
Cancer Walk.
Instead of hosting the festival at one venue, this year’s
One More Girl benefit has expanded to six local venues in two cities
over three nights. The lineup for One More Girl showcases female solo
artists and bands with a female presence (mostly) from the Greater Cincinnati
area. Many of them also happen to be some of the best acts in the
region, playing a range of styles that includes everything from Hard
Rock and Pop Rock to Bluegrass, Folk and many other variations on the
Americana theme. Below are the lineups, links to venues and performers and a few samples from the some of the acts.
One More Girl on a Stage kicks off tonight in
Over-the-Rhine, with artists featured at four venues. There are no cover
charges at any of the venues.
MOTR Pub:
8:30 p.m. Good Night Noises
Blood Orange from Good Night Noises on Myspace.9:30 p.m. A Juliet Bender
10:30 p.m. Sticky Honey
11:30 p.m. Darlene
Japp’s Annex:
8 p.m. Charmed & Tarnished (a new project from Kelly Thomas and Randy Steffen)
9 p.m. The Missy Werner Band10 p.m. Salty Candy (a new project from The Fairmount Girls' Melissa Fairmount)
11 p.m. Magnolia Mountain Quartet
12 a.m. Heavy HingesNeons Unplugged:
7:30 p.m. Sami Riggs
8:30 p.m. Debra Randall and Chuck Keller
9:30 p.m. Carrie SampleLearn how to get your music noticed at ReverbNation.com10:30 p.m. Jenny Ward
11:30 p.m. Mia Carruthers
The Drinkery:
7:30 p.m. Holly Spears BandSell music on Amazon at ReverbNation.com8:30 p.m. Kerosene Alley
9:30 p.m. Wendy Oakley and The Posse
10:30 p.m. Stompin’ Revolvers
11:30 p.m. Buenos Crotches
Learn how to make a free Electronic Press KitTomorrow, the OMG fest takes over the three stages at the
Southgate House Revival in Newport, Ky. Tickets for Friday are available
in advance for $15 here.
Lounge:8:15 p.m. Raison D’etre
9:15 p.m. Danielle Yockey
10:15 p.m. The Stories
11:15 p.m. RuccaFree Electronic Press Kits from ReverbNation.com12:15 a.m. Sassy Molasses
(The 5 Stages) Stage One: Denial & Isolation by Sassy MolassesRevival Room:7 p.m. Boone County Catawallers
8 p.m. Heather Hamlet
9 p.m. Jetlab
10 p.m. The Newbees 11 p.m. The Perfect Children
12 a.m. Chakras
Sanctuary:
7:30 p.m. Ma Crow & The Lady Slippers
8:30 p.m. Shiny & The Spoon10 p.m. Jesse Thomas11 p.m. The Tammy WhyNots
12 a.m. Veronica Grim and The Blue Ribbon Boys
Saturday’s OMG performances will be held on two stages at Newport’s York Street Café beginning at 7 p.m. Admission
is $10 or you can purchase a Friday/Saturday pass for $20 in advance,
which will get you into both the Southgate shows and the ones at York
Street (click here to purchase).
Third Floor Art Gallery Stage:
7 p.m. Kelly Routt
8 p.m. Chelisa Bailey
9 p.m. Wonky Tonk & the Holiday RamblersBlind Date (rough) by Wonky Tonk10 p.m. Carole WalkerLearn how to get your song on itunes at ReverbNation.com11 p.m. Hickory Robot
Second Floor Stage:
7:30 p.m. The Dishes
8:30 p.m. Terminal Union
9:30 p.m. Houston & HoneyFree Electronic Press Kits from ReverbNation.com10:30 p.m. Alone at 3AMMidwest Mess by Alone At 3AM11:30 p.m. Kelly Thomas and The Fabulous Pickups
Click here or here for even more information on all things One More Girl.

Plus, Cincy Psych Fest expands for its second annual celebration of trippy Rock

After a year off, the One More Girl on a Stage music festival/benefit returns bigger than ever, taking place over three nights this week in various venues in Over-the-Rhine and Newport. The Cincy Psych Fest also marks its return this week with its second annual affair taking place Saturday at Mayday in Northside.

Plus, The Tempers and Shiny and the Spoon celebrate new releases, Northside Music Fest returns and Kelly Thomas takes on classic with Switchblade Syndicate

A new monthly, themed and curated Hip Hop night at Northside's The Comet, presented by local artist Abiyah, kicks off this week. Plus, The Tempers and Shiny and the Spoon celebrate new releases, the free Northside Music Fest returns this weekend and Kelly Thomas takes on an Everly Brothers classic with Switchblade Syndicate.

Kelly Thomas continues The Sacred Harp Sessions, her tribute to the people and music that have influenced her life and career. Plus, The Kelly Richey Band becomes a power trio with the addition of drummer Jyn Yates and Funk master Freekbass on bass.

Kelly Thomas and The Mudpies cover Jimmy Cliff classic for latest episode of Thomas' yearlong tribute to her favorite songs and people

This particular version of "Many Rivers to Cross," featuring Greater Cincinnati greats Kelly Thomas and The Mudpies, has been haunting me all week (in a great way). It was recorded as the third episode in a brilliantly conceived yearlong project by Thomas and several of her creative pals, The Sacred Harp Sessions, in which she documents her musical inspirations in monthly installments. "Many Rivers" is such a great song, with its uplifting and optimistic Gospel vibe shining through the lyrical desperation. Thomas and The ’Pies version might just be the best I've heard outside of Jimmy Cliff's original version (sorry, UB40). And I thought it kind of fitting for New Year's Eve (or, perhaps more fittingly, New Year's Day morning) because, although there is a bittersweet aura, Cliff wrote and sang about overcoming his heartbreak and moving on to cross many more rivers in his future. Though he's devastated that his "woman left … and … didn't say why," he knows he'll live through it thanks to his strong will and pride. If you had a tough 2012, make this your theme song on your way to a better 2013.The Sacred Harp Sessions (produced, on the video end, by Alex and Tiffany Luscht of Mind Igniton) is an engaging passion project, with Thomas choosing songs, area musicians and even local studios she admires and appreciates. Ultimately, it's a tribute to the things that have made Thomas who she is today as an artist (and person). In the accompanying videos, Thomas talks about what the songs mean to her, but the short films are not purely autobiographical — they can also be educational. The first episode, for example, discussed Cincinnati's King Records and the city's Hank Williams connection; Kelly recorded Williams' "Lost Highway" with Arlo McKinley at the location of downtown's former Herzog recording studio, believed to be the last standing building in which Williams recorded. Episode 2 of The Sacred Harp Sessions found Thomas teaming up with Cincinnati Blues piano legend Ricky Nye at downtown studio Sound Images for a great take on Robert Johnson's "Come On In My Kitchen." Click here to subscribe to Thomas' YouTube channel so you know when the latest installments drop and can watch and re-watch your favorites. And keep an eye on Thomas' website for any updates and for limited-edition free downloads of the latest tracks recorded for the project ("Many Rivers" is currently available).Thomas is currently singing in three bands — her longtime Kelly Thomas and the Fabulous Pickups crew, the classic Country outfit The Tammy WhyNots and The Lonesome Sound (which formed recently after the aforementioned Hank Williams sessions). She'll be starting off 2013 with free shows with all three acts — The Fabulous Pickups join Sassy Molasses at Northside Tavern Jan. 4, on Jan. 5 The Tammy WhyNots play with Tex Schramm and The Radio King Cowboys and Doctor Bombay and The Atomic Bachelor Pad at Over-the-Rhine's MOTR Pub and The Lonesome Sound has a gig on Jan. 12 at downtown's Taqueria Mercado.

Cincy Groove presents multi-act concert in Newport to help the Cincinnati USA Music Heritage Foundation

Scott Preston and his excellent local music web mag Cincy Groove are presenting a benefit concert at Southgate House Revival tonight to help keep a spotlight on the Cincinnati area’s outrageously rich musical history and influence. The 9 p.m. show will raise funds for the Cincinnati USA Music Heritage Foundation, a non-profit that has done great work drawing attention to Cincinnati’s impact on popular music by promoting and hosting numerous creative events to honor historical moments like Hank Williams’ Cincy recording sessions and the immeasurable impact of King Records. To become a member of the CUMHF's supporters group The Funky Drummer Society and read more about their mission to expose and celebrate Cincy's important place in music history, visit the Foundation's official website here or on Facebook here. Tickets for tonight's benefit show are $10 for those 21-and-up; it's $12 for those 18-20. Music will take place on all three of the recently opened venue's stages. Below is the lineup of performances. Click each artist's name for audio samples and more.Lounge9:15 - 9:55: Bri Love10:15 - 10:55: Hank Becker (of The Rubber Knife Gang)11:15 - 11:55: Terminal Union12:15 - 12:55 : Andyman HopkinsRevival Room9 - 9:40: The Young Heirlooms10:00 - 10:40: Shiny Old Soul11:00 - 11:40: The Stories12:00 - 12:40: SOUSE1:00 - 1:40: Sassy MolassesSanctuary Room9:00 - 9:40: Shoot Out The Lights10:00 - 10:50: Kelly Thomas with Arlo McKinley & Lonesome Sound 11:10 - 12:10: The Cincy Brass12:30 - 1:40: The CliftonesKelly Thomas, Arlo McKinley and Lonesome Sound will be doing an all-Hank Williams set tonight in honor of Hank's ties to Cincy through his historic recording sessions at Herzog Studios. Thomas and McKinley recorded a version of "Lost Highway" at the old Herzog space earlier this year and filmed the proceedings. The song and footage became the centerpiece of Thomas' first in a series of short films featuring her favorite songs and local musicians called Sacred Harp Sessions. A new video and song will be released monthly for the Sessions; Thomas recently unveiled Episode 2 featuring Ricky Nye and the tune "Come On In My Kitchen." Click here to check it out; below is Episode 1, in honor of Cincinnati's music heritage and tonight's concert.

Cincy music heritage group and local musician pay tribute to historic downtown recording studio

There has been more activity downtown at the former home of the historic Herzog recording studios than there has been since the studio’s heyday in the ’40s, when legendary songs were recorded by everyone from Flatt and Scruggs and Patti Page to The Delmore Brothers and Hank Williams. (For some background on Herzog, check out this CityBeat feature by Rick Bird.) This week sees a double dose of activity relating to the Herzog legacy.• The Cincinnati USA Music Heritage Foundation is, fittingly, headquartered in the former Herzog space (on the second floor of 811 Race St.) and has hosted numerous Herzog-related events over the past few years. Late last year, CUMHF presented “Come Play the Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams,” inspired by last year’s Lost Notebooks compilation project, which featured various top-name artists bringing to life lyrics Williams had left behind. The Foundation invited several local musicians to gather at the studio and record some of those songs last year. The jam — which included noted players like David Rhodes Brown, Ed Cunningham, Marvin Hawkins and Mark Utley, among others — was recorded and, this Thursday, Cincinnati USA Music Heritage Foundation will issue its first official release, a four-track EP culled from the sessions. Come Play The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams At Herzog is a digital release with a visual art component — small, signed-and-numbered prints by artist Keith Neltner (pictured).Thursday at the 811 Race St. space, the limited-edition digital EP/art package of Come Play The Lost Notebooks will be available for $20. (You can pre-order the EP, the proceeds from which go to CUMHF, here). Admission to the 7 p.m. shindig is a $5 donation to CUMHF (or free if you purchase an EP). The event will also include a screening of video chronicling the entire “Guitar Army” event last summer on Fountain Square, where numerous local guitarists paid tribute to the Rock & Roll standard, “Train Kept A-Rollin’ ” (the original was recorded at the King Records' facility on Brewster Ave. and the event celebrated the recording’s 60th anniversary). For more on the event and the Cincinnati USA Music Heritage Foundation, visit takingyoutothebridge.org. Check the Facebook event page for further info here.Here's the original version of a song remade for CUMHF's Lost Notebooks EP, Alan Jackson doing "You've Been Lonesome, Too." On the EP, Mark Utley and Renee Frye of Magnolia Mountain provide the vocals. • Local musician Kelly Thomas spent many years organizing ambitious benefit concerts. That ambitious approach returns in a new form with her latest creative project, “Sacred Harp Sessions,” a series of videos that will chronicle the source of much of the singer’s inspiration — the rich musical climate of Greater Cincinnati. Thomas is collaborating with 12 of her favorite local bands on 12 songs, with a video documenting each session (plus an introduction “sharing some of the great things happening in our music community,” Thomas says) becoming the monthly series installment. Thomas plans to unveil one Sacred Heart Session episode each month for a year, then release the songs as an LP. A limited number of free downloads of the songs will be made available after the videos post.The first Sacred Harp Sessions video premieres Saturday at kellythomasonline.com and on Thomas’ YouTube channel (KellyThomasMusic). In the debut episode, Thomas talks about the legacy of King Records and the Herzog studio. Then, cameras follow her as she records “Lost Highway” by Herzog’s most famous client, Hank Williams, in the actual Herzog space along with great local Roots troupe Arlo McKinley and The Lonesome Sound. Saturday, Thomas and her Fabulous Pickups and McKinley and Co. will help launch the series with a concert at Covington’s Madison Theater. The Great Depression (featuring the Lonesome Sound’s Tim Carr and Jeremy Pinnell of Jeremy Pinnell and the 55s) will reteam for a rare performance; rockin’ Roots crew The Sleepin’ Dogs rounds out the bill. Cover is $6 and the 9 p.m. concert is open to all ages. Here's Hank Williams' version of "Lost Highway."